When the meetings of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Committee began, they started with the premise from prior years, that “common characteristics of dietary patterns associated with positive health outcomes include: higher intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish/seafood, legumes, lean meat, and nuts.”

However, at the last and final meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in December, the committee made the unprecedented move of striking “lean meat” from the pattern associated with a healthy diet, implying a plant-based diet. This is a major departure, not only from the past guidelines, but from more than 30 years of nutritionally-accepted science and peer-reviewed studies.

Despite recent media coverage, it is important to remember that the Committee’s final report has not yet been publically released.

We expect the Committee to release their report to the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture in late January or early February. At that time, the Secretaries will have the opportunity to review the recommendations and request input and comments. Following that, the recommendations will then be published in the Federal Register, with a comment period. Throughout this entire process, NCBA will continue to be engaged on behalf of our members.